Conglomerados sostenibles realizados con residuos de construcción generados en obras de rehabilitación energética

Abstract

Currently the European Commission is encouraging a circular economy in the construction industry. This type of economy is an alternative to traditional linear economy were resources are used as long as possible --extracting the maximum value from them whilst in use-- then recovered and transformed into products at the end of each service life. The circular economy will definitely contribute to closing the loop of construction product lifecycles through greater recycling and re-use, helping to build a market for reused construction materials generated in construction and demolition sites. In this context, the research group TEMA from the UPM is working on the research project called "Waste to resources (W2R)". This project seeks new ways of CDW recycling as raw materials for gypsum, mortar and concrete. In this paper the results obtained in the first phase of the project are presented. Several tests (density, mechanical strength, thermal behavior, etc.) were performed to gypsum samples containing different building retrofitting waste categories (insulation, glass, plastic, ceramic tiles, etc.). Results show not only the values obtained in each test but also the proportions achieving the best behavior (indicating the percentage of added waste). Finally, the gypsum composite achieving the best value was highlighted in each test, distinguishing those eco-materials suitable for reinforcing, lightening, or improving thermal behavior.